10 of the greatest long-range strikes

After Matt Phillips scored one of the best goals in the Premier League this season from all of 40 yards for Queens Park Rangers in their 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend, we've had a look at some of the best strikes you'll see, both from the English game, and further afield.

This was probably the goal that put Beckham on the road to being a superstar on the opening day of the 1996/97 Premier League season. Beckham saw Neil Sullivan off his line in the Wimbledon goal when he had the ball on the halfway line, and struck the perfect strike to embarrass Sullivan. It's a goal that has been replayed year after year, one of the more memorable goals of the modern era.

He had already done it once before so we all knew that Alonso had the capability to find the target from inside his own half, but that was when the goalkeeper was at least 50 yards from his goal. On this occasion he saw Steve Harper off his line from around 60 yards out before unleashing a strike that had Harper scrambling. The goalkeeper slipped and Alonso's audaciousness had paid off.

What else is there to be said about Andrea Pirlo? Is there anybody that doesn't either love or admire him? We've all seen his ability with a dead ball, but his strike against Parma in 2010 from open play was freaky. It's as if he picked out the smallest part of the top corner and said 'I'm going to put it right there', and he did it. What a player. What a man.

Trevor Sinclair seemed to his own collection of stunning goals. Some remember him for that bicycle kick against QPR but my personal favourite is this volley against Charlton, as it's a lot more difficult to pull off than people give it credit for.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Porto v MANCHESTER UNITED - 2009

In a bit of trouble after the first leg of your Champions League tie? Need digging out of a rut? Well, Cristiano Ronaldo will sort things out for you with this strike against Porto. With United drawing the first leg of their tie 2-2, they had to win in Portugal, and this was the strike that did it. Again, like Pirlo, postage stamp stuff.

Luis Suarez and Norwich tended to equal goals and he scored a couple of eye popping strikes against them during his time at Anfield. But this one completed his hat-trick against them at the end of the 2011/12 season when he saw John Ruddy off his line and decided to chip him from 40 yards. The Uruguayan was obviously delighted, and Stewart Downing couldn't believe he played in the same team as him.

Some accuse Zlatan of not doing this kind of thing enough in the big games, or against English clubs - ergo he must be a poor player. He's not, he's fantastic. This proves it. I'm not sure this another player who would try this in the modern game. It was glorious.

David Seaman still has nightmares about this one. Just after the half-time break in the quarter final of the World Cup, Ronaldinho went for goal catching Seaman out, leaving the then Arsenal goalkeeper a little red faced, and England packing their bags for the flight home.

Matteo Destro: ROMA v Verona 2014

After Destro calmly chested the ball down from a goal-kick from his own teammate, with his back to goal he decided to have a go from long range, completely catching his opponent off guard.

A rare bit of class involving Manchester United under the brief and troubling tenure of David Moyes as Rooney spotted Adrian off his line and scored from distance, and drew comparisons with David Beckham against Wimbledon nearly 18 years before.

This was a wonderful striker from Kramer, what a shame it ended up as an own goal as he tried to play it all the way back to his goalkeeper, only for the pass to loop over him. The World Cup winner seemed to find it amusing at the time, but I bet it he didn't at the end of the game. Gladbach lost the game 1-0.

Ian Bolland

A journalism graduate of Liverpool John Moores University. During his time at university, Ian spent time on work experience at local newspapers in Liverpool, Bolton and Wigan, and prior to that he did work for The Observer's 'fans verdict'. Ian also has interests in news, current affairs and business but mostly sport, including football, rugby league, cricket, golf and Formula 1, amongst others.